On the Radar: The Forest Wall

Photo from: The Forest Wall

The Forest Wall are siblings Derek and Amanda Salazar from Washington DC. Their plainly named recording, The EP, contrasts with its absorbing, imaginative contents. Contrast is a pervasive and important element to this recording, as it can be observed throughout the album both within and between tracks.

The first track, Canon, opens with a beautiful flurry of notes cast in the form of electronically reproduced vocals before launching into somber reverie. Does It Make A Sound is complex indie pop full of rich harmonies and increasingly diverse orchestration over its course. Spanish Skies is simply beautiful, relying on strong vocals and guitar accompaniment. Suitcase Son opens sparsely and flourishes with thumping floor toms and bright guitar riffs, and then closes in pleading resolution. Suitcase Son is the strongest track on the album; enhanced by emotive and empathic intentions, it’s truly powerful. The closer, In the Pines, is consistent with the nature of contrasts that exist within this recording. It’s a lo-fi bluesy-folk number that features Amanda’s smoky vocals and is marked by a pervasive hiss reminiscent of recordings made on old cassette recorders. Its raw sound represents a core to the Salazar siblings, who present their talents well on this debut recording.

Discover: The Adamski Kid

The Adamski Kid is Adam Karayiannis who is out of East London. On September 12, he independently (B!TCH! Cassettes) released a bouncy bit of cacophony called I Dance Alone for which we have a stream (below) and video (in Videos…below). The single is accompanied by a b-side, Ever Drive A Hearse, Harold?, which is like a good cup of coffee–it packs a jolt to the system.

Armed with a Roland MC-505, The Adamski Kid draws inspiration from the likes of Beck, Peaches, and PJ Harvey. His cover of Harvey’s The Desperate Kingdom of Love demonstrates that the kid is not a one trick pony; it’s pretty striking. He’s currently offering it as a free download on Facebook. Pick up the single at eMusic or Juno download.

Check out:I Dance Alone

—

Consider these…

Blind Pilot stopped through KEXP Music Fest NW (MFNW). The three day event took place from September 7-11. The band performed Keep You Right, Half Moon, Always, Colored Night, White Apple, and We Are the Tide from the newly released LP, We Are The Tide. See the performance video for Keep You Right, in Videos, videos, videos (below). Check out more Thursday performances from Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Sebadoh, and Little Dragonhere.
—

A new discovery by chance is the band Playwrite out of Melbourne. Their dark, complex sound is gripping. You can check out Little Ark and Black Cloud via Bandcamp and download North 395 below.–Check out: North 395 [mp3]–Stream:Black Cloud and Little Ark